Patterns of adult tobacco use in Uzbekistan.

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the prevalence of tobacco use in Uzbekistan, a country targeted intensively by the international tobacco industry.

METHODS

A national household survey elicited information about cigarette smoking and nasway use (a form of smokeless tobacco).

RESULTS

Prevalence of past-month smoking and nasway use among men (N=1795) was 19.6% and 22.3%, respectively, and 1.6% and 0.5% among women (N=1831). Among men, smoking was independently associated with Uzbek ethnicity, urban residence, age and occupation; nasway use was associated with rural residence, age, being married and occupation.

CONCLUSIONS

The smoking rate in Uzbekistan remains low relative to neighbouring countries, perhaps due to widespread use of cheaper nasway. These findings establish a baseline for future surveys and highlight the importance of smokeless tobacco in assessing overall consumption.